[Justin Fendos] The human cost of nuclear testing

With most media focusing on the geopolitical and military consequences of Pyongyang’s September nuclear test, another important consideration has largely gone undiscussed: the human cost. Nuclear testing is dangerous. Not only can it cause immediate damage to the surrounding environment, it can also cause lasting damage to much larger areas around the test site. Just ask Fukushima.Since all of North Korea’s nuclear tests have been conducted underground and inside of a mountain (Mantapsan), the c

Sept. 20, 2017

[Chicago Tribune] Motormouth Trump warns ‘rocket man’ Kim

Many a world leader has come to the United Nations to give a mealy-mouthed speech or issue a vague declaration. Delegates understood they could remain awake at their discretion.The action was different, and riveting, Tuesday at the UN when President Donald Trump lit into North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, using what we now recognize to be Trump’s trademark vocabulary of shock and audaciousness.“Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime,” Trump said, mocking Kim and sounding

Sept. 20, 2017

[Mac Margolis] Russia wants to be Latin America’s new BFF

When Donald Trump dines with Latin American presidents at Trump Tower in New York tonight (Monday), the conversation could be strained. For one, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who’s chafed at Trump’s talk of walling the border and sending Mexico the bill, declined the invitation. Colombia’s Juan Manuel Santos is still reeling from Washington’s threat to decertify the country as a good actor in the war on drugs, while Pedro Pablo Kuczynski of Peru has pointedly called for “bridges,” not wa

Sept. 19, 2017

[Yannis K. Semertzidis] How useful is basic science for Korea?

The question of balance between applied and basic science continues to be debated in most countries, including Korea. Since there seems to be so much need for public support of impoverished people, how can we spend valuable resources to fund curiosity driven research?Basic science can provide revolutionary technologies and ideas; helps keep the local industry up-to-date with the latest developments; encourages constant competition via technology transfer programs; and most importantly, trains th

Sept. 19, 2017

[Leonid Bershidsky] Why less frequent elections make sense in Germany

The coming German election may be the last one run on a four-year cycle. The parties now represented in the German parliament and at least one that stands to enter it on Saturday all agree that the legislative term should be extended to five years. That means it’s highly likely Germany will make the switch before 2021. They make some arguments that Americans, too, should consider.Since the end of World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany has only had eight chancellors, and three of them serv

Sept. 19, 2017

[Leonid Bershidsky] The Zapad military exercise reveals Putin’s fear

The large-scale Russian military exercise known as Zapad, which started in Belarus on Thursday, is already a propaganda success: It has alarmed Russia’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization neighbors and garnered so much Western media coverage that one might think it was an actual combat operation. But it has also provided an important insight into the fears of the Russian and Belarusian rulers, fears that are not necessarily groundless.To Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, the exercise is m

Sept. 18, 2017

[Star Tribune] Trump makes bold, bipartisan move to protect young immigrants

President Donald Trump made a daring move on Wednesday, mapping out the beginnings of a deal with Democratic minority leaders to save “Dreamers,” the young immigrants who were given temporary protections from DACA, the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals. That is a positive, compassionate move that should bring support from those who have worked hard to protect the 800,000 people who now live in daily fear of deportation from the only homeland they remember.Trump will need all the support he c

Sept. 18, 2017

[Bloomberg] How China should go electric

With China’s decision to phase out gas- and diesel-fueled vehicles, the end is nearer for the internal combustion engine. For their nation to reap the full benefits of this revolution, Chinese leaders will need to continue to be bold.Nations that account for almost 80 percent of the world auto market are now planning or considering plans to end over the next few decades the sale of cars and trucks powered by fossil fuels. Big carmakers, many of whom have responded only tepidly to previous govern

Sept. 18, 2017

[David Volodzko] North Korea’s secret weapon? Economic growth

With the United Nations imposing yet another round of sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear provocations, it’s worth asking why such penalties have been failing for more than a decade. One reason is that the North Korean economy is improving more than is commonly understood -- and that will make altering its behavior through trade barriers significantly harder.The current approach to sanctions is partly based on the assumption that North Korea’s economy is a socialist nightmare, but that’s no

Sept. 17, 2017

[Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry] Why Macron doesn’t fear France’s unions

The first street protests against Emmanuel Macron’s proposed labor market reforms have been underwhelming. Several major unions stayed away. Estimates of the turnout varied -- from 223,000, according to fairly reliable police figures, to 500,000, according to the CGT, France’s biggest union, which called for the march. Whatever the real number, French unions are divided, and this helps Macron’s reform efforts.This is unusual. France’s unions are traditionally a united front against pro-market re

Sept. 17, 2017

[Helmut K. Anheier] American political tragedy

US President Donald Trump’s nearly eight months in office have been characterized by a series of disturbing political developments. But Trump is not entirely to blame. His presidency is just the latest act in a long-running political tragedy.From a foreign policy perspective, the problem began in the 1990s, when the United States squandered the post-Cold War peace dividend. With regard to domestic policy, the failures began even earlier: from Reaganomics in the 1980s to Obamacare in the 2010s, m

Sept. 17, 2017